Manila – Indonesian opposition leader Megawati Sukarnoputri wants to visit the Philippines but is uncertain if the government of President Fidel Ramos will allow her in, a local newspaper reported here Wednesday.

"I have plans of visiting the Philippines but I don't know if the Philippine government will allow me," Megawati was quoted as saying in the Manila Times newspaper.

The Philippine and Indonesian governments had strong ties and Ramos and Indonesian President Suharto were "close allies," she was quoted as saying.

Megawati, who was ousted from the leadership of the Indonesian Democracy Party (PDI) in 1996, reportedly due to government pressure, did not say why she wanted to visit the Philippines. The Philippines and Indonesia have close relations with Indonesia helping to broker peace talks between the Philippine government and Moslem separatists in the south.

However, in recent years, local opposition groups have been hosting East Timor independence activities in this country and tried to bring in leaders of the East Timor movement.

Such moves have complicated relations between the two countries with Jakarta urging Manila to ban the entry of the East Timor activists.

Indonesia invaded the former Portuguese colony of East Timor in 1975 and annexed it a year later in a move never recognized by the United Nations. A separatist movement has been fighting the Indonesian presence ever since.